Val – The Sun's Apprentice
by Kangawhale
Summary: Jack Frost lived 300 years not knowing that a Cupid really existed. But when he falls victim to his own incident, Love's icon named Val offers to help him. Jack starts to think that childhood is perhaps not the only thing worth paying attention to as he sees her more and more; but a new villain by the name of Mother Goose threatens innocence, and Val is more than willing to fight.


A _Rise_ _of the Guardians_ fanfiction

By Kangawhale

* * *

It had been a mere year after Pitch was corrupted and consumed by his own fears, and the five Guardians had created an official headquarters up in the clouds, a great castle of stone and sparkling, gold-lined glass. Designs of snowflakes, Christmas bows, leaping rabbits and flowers, and coins lying under little pearly teeth were scattered across the strong, sunlit walls of the fortress. Inside, a certain rookie Guardian was drawing circles on the wooden floors with his staff.

"Jack, are you feeling okay?" A winged woman flew in quietly, her small feet padding on the ground as she regarded him with her violet eyes. Jack glanced up and shrugged, his blue hoodie shifting over his shoulders.

"I'm a little tired today, Tooth." He replied, giving a small smile. "I'll be okay."

The tooth fairy pressed her lips into a thin line and gave Jack a concerned look, before sitting beside him on his bed. She put a hand on his shoulder and frowned at him in worry.

"Has the Moon been whispering anything to you?" Tooth asked, her feathers glinting in the sunrise that peeked in through the windows. "You know that you have to listen to it, Jack."

Jack Frost sighed and leaned back against the cold stone walls, staring at the rays of sunlight spilling into the room. "Do you ever get the feeling that there's someone listening to the Sun?" He asked after a long pause. "I mean, there can't be a man on it, but maybe a spirit that talks to people?" The tooth fairy blinked and looked at Jack with a shocked expression. Jack raised an eyebrow in curiosity before the tooth fairy rolled her eyes.

"You've _never_ seen Val, have you, Jack?" She asked. Jack furrowed his brow in confusion and she groaned in irritation. "_Cupid?_" She prodded hopefully.

"Cupid…?" He said slowly. "I've seen doves flying around and sprinkling pink dust on people…"

The tooth fairy sighed heavily. "But who do they work for, Jack?" She gasped in shock. "I'm surprised! Her holiday's in the winter; you should've seen her at least once! _She _listens to the Sun's spirit."

"We talkin' about Val?" A bunny poked his head in, more the size of a kangaroo than an actual rabbit. Tooth gave a sound of relief.

"Thank goodness, Bunnymund." She smiled. "Jack doesn't know who Val is."

The Easter bunny widened his eyes in shock. "You must be the world's only living brain donor," He laughed. "You've been out in February sprinklin' your snow!"

Jack felt a small amount of irritation trickle into him and he sat up straight. "Of course I have." He objected. "What's so great about some Val chick? All she does is help kids grow up, right? I mean, you don't see kids in love."

Both Bunnymund and Tooth looked greatly offended. "How could you say that?" The tooth fairy whispered, her eyes sad. Jack was about to apologize when she interrupted him. "You really have no respect for growing up, do you?"

Jack scoffed in disbelief; how could Tooth say that to him?! He loved childhood and fun, but he knew that actually aging and moving forward was an important part of each life. "I do, Tooth." He said in frustration. "I just don't see why adults aren't as happy as kids. This 'Val' can't be doing a good job, you know?"

Tooth looked about twice as hurt as she did, before. "Try making people fall in love when they grew up expecting heartbreak, Jack." She whispered, before standing and flying to the door, turning to gesture the rabbit out with her. Bunnymund gave a sigh and stood, leaving as well. Jack sighed in frustration and fell back on his bed, hitting his head hard on the wall.

"Perfect," He hissed, sitting back up and rubbing the back of his head. "just perfect." Confusion and anger clawed at his mind, as if the harsh contact with the wall wasn't enough to deal with. The only thing he could think about was how he would have both a headache and a welt in the next few seconds. When a small, chirping alarm went off, signaling his need for departure, he groaned loudly and swatted away the chickadee that was singing. The bird squawked at him in anger before flitting out the open window. Sighing heavily, Jack grasped his staff and adjusted his hoodie before letting the wind carry him out of the large window, as well.

* * *

Jack soared with impatience and frustration as angry sparks of frost emitted from his staff, sending little shards of ice falling to the city just below him. The wind screamed in his ears and the sun blinded his eyes, only further aggravating him. The back of his mind questioned why Jack was being so out of character and angry, but being the stubborn person he was, he ignored it completely. All that was in his mind was confusion towards Tooth's protectiveness towards this "Val," and anger at her for treating him with such disrespect.

With a sneer, he dove down to sweep across the streets and caused people to slip on ice, falling and not even noticing the boy that had done it all. Glaring at the ground, he didn't realize where he was going and rammed right into someone. A sharp pain in his shoulder surfaced and he cried out in agony as the two tumbled to the snowy ground.

Groaning in pain, Jack clutched his shoulder and sat up, eyes squeezed shut. Did he hit a believer? Or had Tooth just followed him? _Hah, maybe she'll apologize. _Jack thought, grinning through his closed eyes.

"Are you okay?!" A girl's voice asked in panic; it wasn't the tooth fairy. As if on cue, the stinging jolt of hurt in Jack's shoulder increased and he hissed through his teeth, eyes still squeezed shut in pain.

"Y-yeah, I think so." He choked, trying to keep his heavy breathing even. It felt as though someone had attached a hook to his muscle and was trying to reel him in. "Maybe not…" He corrected, head ringing from the pain. He felt a hand remove his own from the place where it hurt and a small palm pressed down on it. Immediately, the pain subsided. Jack, in shock, opened his eyes.

The girl he was looking at was around his apparent age; her lashes covering her eyes as she frowned at his shoulder. "I think you tore a muscle." She said quietly. Her voice was as smooth as untouched ice, and Jack felt quite comforted by it. "I'm sorry." She whispered, brushing her red wine hair from her creamy skin.

Jack blinked in surprise. "Oh, no, that was my fault. I'm sorry." He huffed, smiling kindly. "Could I… ask how you can see me?"

The girl looked hurt. "… Oh." She said quietly, the amount of thorns stabbing into her tone was overwhelming, and Jack's mouth dropped open. Could it be who Tooth was talking about?

"I'm so sorry!" He pressed, panic setting in. "Is your name Val?"

Finally, the freckled face showed itself from its curtain of wavy locks. Her brown eyes sparkled and snow clung to her hair as she smiled hugely, dimples that were once hidden now showing themselves to Jack. "It is." She said happily. "And you're Jack Frost."

Suddenly, Jack felt a pang of guilt. She knew him and he didn't know her. He was convinced it was just doves that completed the task of making people fall in love. "Yeah," He said, trying to hide his regret. "I'm Jack Frost."

Val eyed Jack with concern and she tilted her head to the side slightly in curiosity. "Are you alright?" She asked politely, taking her hand off of his shoulder. The pain seeped into the spot where her hand was and Jack gasped in pain, clutching his torn muscle. Val let out an, "Oh!" and placed her hand over top of his to ease the pain. Jack sighed in relief.

"How do you do that?" He panted, blinking at the cupid in front of him. He saw a small blush come to her cheeks and she looked at the ground shyly.

"I have the ability to take way pain until everything gets better…" She muttered, smiling softly. "It comes with the whole… 'Cupid' deal." She laughed a small, tinkling laugh that made Jack smile.

"That's amazing," He breathed, feeling a warmth in his shoulder swirling around and softening his tenseness. He paused, watching her eyes focus on his shoulder. "Hey," He said softly. "I'm really sorry about not recognizing you earlier."

Val looked up at him through her long lashes and smiled kindly. "Don't worry about it, Jack." She said. "Is your shoulder alright?"

Jack removed his hand, still feeling the swirling warmth in his muscles, before standing and holding his staff. Cringing in pain, he almost fell to his knees again. He could barely move his shoulder, now. Val shot up and held him steady, supporting his body weight and placing her hand on his torn muscle, again.

"I can take you to my chariot and help you out," She said softly, her seemingly frail arms keeping him in place as she gently took his staff from his bad arm, using it as a cane for herself. Jack nodded silently, fighting back the searing headache as she helped him stagger through the snow, the bodies of busy civilians passing through the two of them without regard or thought that they were there, slowly making their way through the light snowfall and to an awaiting chariot.


End file.
